Teaching Dossier

Here are some elements common to most teaching dossiers across different disciplines:

• For those without significant teaching experience, highlight your experience as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA).
• Include official performance evaluations and, if possible, letters of reference from course supervisors or department chairs. (Most departments will keep the former, so get copies for yourself. As for the latter, you need to ask, so do it as soon as the course has finished!)
• If you've taught courses, clearly indicate in your dossier the number of students and the level of the course.
• Highlight where, when, and on what topic you offered guest lectures for a supervisor's course.
• Identify any workshops you developed, whether at school or in the community.
• If you completed university teaching courses or workshops – for example, through the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI) – highlight these as well as the pedagogical, instructional design, anti-oppressive, or other specific skills you might have developed.
• Use your discretion when choosing to highlight tutoring or lab supervision: these may not be considered teaching experiences by those reviewing your dossier. It may be preferable to state your inexperience openly and honestly rather than to try to pass off questionable experiences as "teaching."

There are many variations to this dossier. It is always best to check with your department to understand preferred formats for your field or discipline.

Research Prospectus or Research Dossier

This focuses on your recent, current and future research. Whether or not you include a research statement really depends on the position you are applying for. By researching the department and position you are applying to, you can tailor your statement to better intersect with the research agenda of that school. A job advertisement for example, may request a brief description of your research plans. You can include this information directly in your cover letter or append a more detailed prospectus. Err on the side of moderation. Try not to deluge the hiring committee however with too much paper.
For more information on constructing a research prospectus or a research dossier, visit the Career Centre's Career Resource Library for useful tipsheets and publications on this and other related subjects.